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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Bakersfield, CA vs Boston, MA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Boston spends 84.0% more per capita than Bakersfield ($60,723/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Bakersfield, CA
Pop. 404,321
C
56/100
Budget Balance2
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Boston, MA
Pop. 665,945
C
56/100
Budget Balance25
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Bakersfield
Boston
Total Spending
$4.7B
$48.1B
Spending / Capita
$11,576
$72,299
Total Revenue
$1.6B
$20.8B
Revenue / Capita
$3,862
$31,243
Total Debt
$0
$296.3M
Debt / Capita
$0
$445
Population
404,321
665,945
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Bakersfield$0
Boston$1,107
Highways & Roads
Bakersfield$0
Boston$594
Parks & Recreation
Bakersfield$741
Boston$711
Education
Bakersfield$0
Boston$30,742
Health
Bakersfield$0
Boston$725

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

BakersfieldBoston
Property Tax
$1
$0
Sales Tax
$20
$78
Income Tax
$1,909
$0
Intergovernmental
$3,862
$5,357
Charges & Fees
$1,024
$2,784
Other
$1,915
$4,557

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

BakersfieldBoston
Fire Protection
$0
$1,107
Highways & Roads
$0
$594
Education
$0
$30,742
Public Welfare
$840
$1,110
Health
$0
$725
Hospitals
$425
$2,584
Parks & Recreation
$741
$711
Housing
$3,391
$6,614
Sewerage
$265
$355
Utilities
$2,679
$3,402
General Admin
$0
$5,401
Other
$3,234
$18,955
C
Bakersfield, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health
C
Boston, MA
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health

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